Herb Pomeroy RIP

[stevebop]

A truly devestating message from Greg Hopkins. Herb was woven into the fabric of Boston jazz, from playing with Charlie Parker on his visits here in the 1950s to his teaching and mentoring students at Berklee for over forty years.Trumpeter Joe Gordon and pianist Jaki Byard played in his big band, among others:

Sadly I inform you of the passing of our good friend and musical mentor,
Herb Pomeroy, on Saturday August 11th, 2007.
He was like a father to many of us, and an icon for so many decades.
I have that giant empty feeling inside, like a big part of myown life
has just gone into darkness.
All those gigs and all those rehearsals, and now,
all those memories -- reaqlly good ones.

I've heard there will be a wake on Wednesday, in Gloucester,
but check the papers for sure.

The 2nd Trumpetter
Greg Hopkins

[Valerie]

what an enormous loss, especially for jazz history in boston. he was the "father" to many! may he rest in peace.

[Bill Barton]

More sad news... What a marvelous legacy he left. RIP, Mr. Pomeroy.

[graypencil]

Thats really sad news ..Pomeroy was a seminal figure
in the Boston jazz scene for many years, as well as a pioneer jazz educator who influenced thousands of young musicians.

RIP Herb ...

[Ron Thorne]

What a shock it was to see this thread title. I'm at a loss for words to express my sadness and sense of loss.

Herb was a gentle man, and one of my favorite instructors at Berklee. I also spent many memorable hours in his venerable club, The Stables/Jazz Workshop. His leadership and mentorship will be greatly missed.




Herb Pomeroy conducting the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble

R.I.P., Herb Pomeroy~

[Gentle Giant]

Hadn't heard. What a loss, indeed. Always active. Will miss his distinctive music and mustache. RIP

[Dr Dave]

For many Bostonians, including exiles such as myself, Herb WAS jazz.

[hornplayer]

very, VERY sad news.....

[me wag]

I found this old interview with Sam Rivers from the Boston Phoenix that gives you a good idea of Mr. Pomeroy's influence:

The Pomeroy aggregation, meanwhile, featured a slew of Boston's top players and arrangers. "It was a great band," says Rivers. "It was probably the most inspirational band I've ever been in. It had music by all the exciting writers at the time -- Jaki Byard was in it, Mike Gibbs. In fact, that band was one of my inspirational guides to writing for big band. A lot of other musicians came up through Herb's band -- Dick Johnson, who runs the Artie Shaw Orchestra, Charlie Mariano, John Neves, Alan Dawson. Keith Jarrett also came through. I don't know what happened to that music. I'm sure Herb still has it." Thinking back on those days, he adds, "Without Herb Pomeroy, there probably wouldn't be a Berklee College of Music."

[makpjazz57]

There are plans for a celebration of Herb Pomeroy's life. Following are the details:

A celebration of Herb’s life and music will be held on Sunday, September 9th in the Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury St., Boston at 3 P.M.

Marla

[makpjazz57]

Here's the link to the funeral home guestbook. I'm sure Herb's wife, Dodie and his children/family would appreciate reading how folks felt about Herb, both fans and musicians:

http://www.grondinfuneralservices.com/obituaries.html

Click on Herb's name and following the obituary, there are links to leave a message or read messages already left for the family.

Just a reminder for those folks located in the Boston area or planning a visit - there will be a celebration of Herb's life at Emmanuael Church, Newbury Street in Boston at 3 p.m. on September 9.

Marla

[rollhead]

I was in Gloucester, Mass., with my family Tuesday night, walking on Main Street, when we passed a restaurant, called the "Franklin Cape Ann Cafe."

There was a sign in the window, saying that Herb Pomery played there on Tuesday nights -- I got excited, and opened the door.

"Is Herb Pomery playing tonight?" I asked. I got a two-word answer.

"He's dead." I was shocked.

The next day, Wednesday, I opened the Aug. 22nd NYT and saw this:


August 22, 2007
Herb Pomeroy, Jazz Player and Teacher, Dies at 77
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON, Aug. 21 (AP) — Herb Pomeroy, a jazz trumpeter who played with Charlie Parker, backed Frank Sinatra and influenced generations of musicians in four decades as a teacher at Berklee College of Music and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, died on Aug. 11 at his home in Gloucester, Mass. He was 77.

His death followed a long struggle with cancer, his daughter, Perry Pomeroy, said.

Mr. Pomeroy played with Parker, Stan Kenton, Max Roach and Sonny Rollins, and backed Tony Bennett and Sarah Vaughan as well as Sinatra.

Irving Herbert Pomeroy III was born and raised in Gloucester and began playing music as a teenager. He spent a year at Harvard before leaving to become a full-time musician.

In addition to his daughter, his survivors include his wife, Dodie Gibbons; a son, Eden Pomeroy; four stepchildren; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

[Gentle Giant]

Beautiful tributes.

Tribute to jazz man made in song
By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | September 10, 2007

Steve Kuhn began to recall renowned jazz trumpeter and teacher Herb Pomeroy yesterday from the pulpit at Emmanuel Church - an inspirational musician and educator, a dear man, and a good friend - but the loss of his longtime colleague, who died last month, overtook him.

So the influential jazz artist sat at the piano and played a sad, sweet tune that filled the 19th-century church on Newbury Street and drew applause from some 300 people who had gathered to pay tribute to Pomeroy's life and lasting influence on generations of musicians.

Playing pieces by legendary figures such as Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Golson in a church where Pomeroy and others had performed some 40 years ago, musicians from the close-knit Boston jazz scene honored one of their giants in the language that was his lifeblood - soaring, majestic trumpets, rumbling bass guitars, shimmering cymbals, surging alto sax. The music gave the stately church the soulful, late-night feel of a jazz club, and some swayed in the pews, cheered, and called for more.

A musical tribute was fitting, speakers at the memorial service said, because Pomeroy believed in jazz's healing properties, its ability to lift people and bring them together. It was right, too, because nothing but the sound of jazz could properly celebrate his life and ease the sadness of his death, friends and family said.

"He was too good, too good to be true," sang jazz vocalist Rebecca Parris, lingering on every lyric at the end of an elegant piano ballad.

Parris described Pomeroy, who died Aug. 11 of cancer at 77, as a generous spirit who sacrificed personal glory as a bandleader to help young musicians reach their potential. "His criticisms came from such a lovely place that it never hurt," she said. "He shared all that he had rather than keep it for himself."

Born in Gloucester, Irving Herbert Pomeroy III began playing professionally as a teenager. He spent a year at Harvard, then left to become a full-time musician. At 23, he played with Charlie Parker, the legendary saxophonist who helped found bebop. He later formed the Herb Pomeroy Big Band, which performed often at the fabled Stables jazz club in Copley Square.

During a distinguished career that spanned decades, Pomeroy played with luminaries such as Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, and Sonny Rollins, backed Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, and became a fixture on the Boston jazz scene. He also helped create the field of jazz education as a teacher at Berklee College of Music and MIT, casting a vast influence on generations of musicians.

"He helped bring jazz to the universities, where it had been a four-letter word," said musician Phil Wilson, who first played with Pomeroy when he was 17 and later played full time in his band. "Now it's taught at every school in the country."

Jeffrey Leonard, a former student of Pomeroy's and a music teacher, called Pomeroy an exemplary teacher who was as inspired by his students as they were by him. "He catered to the wide range of individualities of his students," he said. "He loved and respected them, and he never stopped learning from them."

Leonard said that when he works with students, he is unsure "when what I teach begins and what Herb taught me ends."

Pomeroy's daughter, Perry Pomeroy, said she deeply admired her father's career as a musician and teacher, but loved him as a father who bathed his family in unconditional love. "Or as I called him until the very last day of his life, Daddy," she said.

Pomeroy was a man of strong beliefs who valued tradition and saw beauty in daily life, she said. He preferred live performances to recorded music, amateur sports over professional, old over new.

She recalled a recent Sunday when Pomeroy, though in declining health, found the strength to play his weekly set at a Beacon Hill restaurant. When she visited him later that night, he was tired, wrapped in a blanket in a wicker chair. But his first words upon her and her husband's arrival, she recalled, were typically selfless.

"He said, 'Joe, I understand congratulations are in order! How are things at the new job?' " she recalled. "He made everyone feel that he was more interested in them than himself."

[makpjazz57]

I was in attendance at Emmanuel Church yesterday and wanted to add a wee bit of add'l info. I shared the Boston Globe article with some friends via email and added the following:

A review of the Celebration of Herb Pomeroy's life which was held in Boston yesterday. I just wanted to say that I'm guessing this reviewer couldn't stay 'til the end and missed some wonderful moments (the program was about 3 1/2 hours). One of the most moving musical moments was vocalist Donna Byrne singing "Wayfaring Stranger," and this did not happen until close to the end of the tribute/memorial. Tributes to Herb by Gary Burton and Pat LaBarbera were also read. Also worth noting are the wonderful big bands/orchestras representing two musical periods in Herb's life, ensthusiastically and lovingly conducted by long time close friend (and former student), Greg Hopkins. The band included a Who's Who of Boston jazz - Paul Fontaine, Rick Stepton, Paul Schmeling, Bill Pierce, Phil Wilson, Hal Crook, Joe Hunt, John Repucci. Paul Broadnax, Jon Wheatley, others, peformed their heartfelt tributes to Herb. John Lockwood, Ray Santisi, others performed, as well.

So, not at all criticizing the Globe article; just adding to it!

For those of you in the Boston area - a tribute/jam session in Herb's honor will be held at the Firehouse in Newburyport, MA and Berklee College of Music is planning a celebration of Herb's life for April of 2008 (April 22 was the tentative date given).

Marla

[stevebop]

The service for Herb on Sunday was truly moving.
Back in 1993 Herb received a Jazz Achievement Award from The New England Foundation for The Arts.
I was lucky enough to produce a 1/2 hour radio documentary at that time using only Herb's own voice, talking about his life in music and education, while hearing the music he refers to that influenced him or that he made himself.
That radio piece is now available from the WGBH website, on demand. Simply go to:

www.wgbh.org/jazz.

You'll see a picture of Herb and a link to the audio.

He was one of a kind!

[Bondelev]

I wrote a few thoughts about my relationship with Herb on my Blog. He was a huge influence in my life.

[Gentle Giant]

Berklee family gives spirited salute to Pomeroy
By Kevin Lowenthal, Globe Correspondent | April 4, 2008

Herb Pomeroy, who passed away last year at age 77, was one of Boston's most beloved musicians. A wonderful trumpeter, accomplished arranger, and superb band leader, Pomeroy's greatest legacy may well be the several generations of students he taught in his 40 years at the Berklee College of Music.

Tuesday night, at the Berklee Performance Center, the college presented a resounding tribute to Pomeroy, featuring the 19-piece Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra, a student ensemble inaugurated by Pomeroy in his early days at the school and now directed by trumpeter Greg Hopkins. For this concert, special guests joined the orchestra, including former students who are now renowned, such as pianist Hal Galper, trumpeter Jack Walrath, and saxophonist Joe Lovano.

The concert opener, Michael Gibbs's "The Time Has Come, the Walrus Said," showed the orchestra's skills, with intricate layers of riffs intertwined over a Latin-inspired pulse, boldly and crisply articulated by the band, energetically conducted by Hopkins.

An early highlight was Ted Pease's "Five Flats for Herb," a simple blues showcasing the orchestra's trumpet players, each representing an aspect of Pomeroy's musical personality. Three trumpeters stood at the front of the stage, soloing in turn, backed by creamy reeds. Niv Toar played the growling, plunger-muted trumpet role; Max Miller-Loran used a Harmon mute for the buzzing part; and Jeremy Sinclair manned the mellow flugelhorn. The three voices began to converge, trading successively shorter phrases.

Then, suddenly, from the highest riser at the rear of the stage, the soaring lead trumpet of Casey Brefka took over. The tune ended with the first three voices once more merged.

Throughout the evening, tapes were played of Pomeroy reminiscing ebulliently. One of Pomeroy's fondest memories was playing in the orchestra of his idol, Duke Ellington, when in the band's latter days he occasionally substituted for the trumpeter Cootie Williams. Fittingly, Ellington loomed large during the concert, both as an influence on several arrangements and as composer.

Indeed, a medley of Ellingtonia ended the evening, including the beguiling ballad "Isfahan," by Ellington's alter ego Billy Strayhorn, with alto saxophonist Mark Pinto stepping into Johnny Hodges's shoes. Pomeroy's arrangement of Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" featured student baritone saxophonist Davindar Singh, who made the big, beastly horn purr.

The suitably celebratory closer was a Phil Wilson arrangement of Ellington's imperishable swinger "Rockin' in Rhythm," which gave seemingly everyone a chance to solo, as an animated Hopkins shuttled back and forth spontaneously orchestrating them.

The final massing of forces for the big finish provided a suitably reverberant shout-out to a man whom Berklee and Boston will not soon forget.

[Ron Thorne]

Wow, I would have loved to seen and heard that tribute, GG! It seems to have been lovingly thought–out and presented—hardly a surprise considering the impact that Herb had on folks.

What a joy it was for me to have him as my Jazz History teacher at Berklee, and to witness his patience and passion leading our big band. Or, to simply chat with him in the hallways for a moment. He always had something positive to offer.

One of a kind, indeed.

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Wow, I would have loved to seen and heard that tribute, GG! It seems to have been lovingly thought–out and presented—hardly a surprise considering the impact that Herb had on folks.

What a joy it was for me to have him as my Jazz History teacher at Berklee, and to witness his patience and passion leading our big band. Or, to simply chat with him in the hallways for a moment. He always had something positive to offer.

One of a kind, indeed.

Ron, when are you going to write a book? Seriously. Not only have you been fortunate enough to have important experiences with legendary musicians, you have the sensitivity and perspective to show people a side of them that few have seen. Off the bandstand, in the classroom, and making a lasting impact all the same. Consider it.

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

Ron, when are you going to write a book? Seriously. Not only have you been fortunate enough to have important experiences with legendary musicians, you have the sensitivity and perspective to show people a side of them that few have seen. Off the bandstand, in the classroom, and making a lasting impact all the same. Consider it.

Thanks for you very kind words, Jason.

I've never considered writing a book, though I wouldn't rule it out, either.

[d2leo]

I attended the Herb Pomeroy tribute it was an incredible event. There were interview clips of Herb telling stories about his life and how he finally got to play with Duke when Cootie Williams was ill.
Ted Pease's piece for 3 trumpets was an especially touching moment.
Joe Lovano, Hal Galper, and Jack Wadlreth really burned it up.
Hearing Herb's voice over the speakers was like we were back listening to him in class.
Herb we will miss you dearly and could you give my regards to Boots.

Phil

www.schillingersociety.com
www.schillingersociety.com/joomla/

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by d2leo

I attended the Herb Pomeroy tribute it was an incredible event. There were interview clips of Herb telling stories about his life and how he finally got to play with Duke when Cootie Williams was ill.
Ted Pease's piece for 3 trumpets was an especially touching moment.
Joe Lovano, Hal Galper, and Jack Wadlreth really burned it up.
Hearing Herb's voice over the speakers was like we were back listening to him in class.
Herb we will miss you dearly and could you give my regards to Boots.

Phil

www.schillingersociety.com
www.schillingersociety.com/joomla/

Thanks for the review.